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E. Removal of Collbran Project from the RIPRAP <br />As of May 1, 1997 the language and process for removing the Collbran Project <br />from the RIPRAP that has been agreed to by Reclamation, the Service, and the principal <br />water users and environmental interests is contained in Attachment 9. A letter <br />agreement is being circulated for everyone's signature. The parties have assured us that <br />this modified language will not result in the need to modify any of the Green Mountain <br />operating criteria developed as part of the Orchard Mesa Check Settlement. It is with this <br />assurance that Board staff was willing to accept this clarification. <br />F. Preliminary Draft Biological Opinion - Duchesne River <br />We reviewed the preliminary draft biological opinion for the Duchesne River and <br />were disturbed that the opinion identified conservation measures which had previously <br />not been identified through the Recovery Program as part of the basin wide recovery <br />strategy. Attachment 10 is a letter that we sent to the Fish and Wildlife Service <br />expressing our concern and the potential downside to such actions. <br />F. Ad Hoc Funding for the Recovery Program <br />The Ad Hoc Committee on Recovery Program Funding met on April 29 and <br />agreed to move forward on the development of funding legislation. In addition, the <br />Committee expressed a desire that the pending consultations for the 15 Mile Reach and <br />the Duchesne River show better success in the relation between the Recovery Program <br />efforts and Section 7 requirements. There is also a growing sense that we cannot ask <br />Congress for such a large funding commitment without being able to describe the results <br />we expect to achieve (i.e., a clear and specific description of what "recovery" means). <br />Other expectations include neutrality with respect to ESA reauthorization, establishment <br />of a realistic cost ceiling, and federal funds to cover any tribal share of the cost. <br />One of the more intricate issues which the states need to resolve is the allocation <br />of the states' share of the cost (currently proposed at 15 %, or $17 million, although we <br />have not settled on these figures and talk in terms of a 10 -20% range) among the four <br />states. Colorado is the only state participating in both Recovery Programs. Other issues <br />involve the way in which CRSP power revenues should be considered (federal funds? <br />non - federal funds? reimbursable or non- reimbursable with respect to CRSP project <br />repayment ?) and the way in which our proposal(s) might be "scored" by the <br />Congressional Budget Office. Needless to say, there is a lot of coordination and analysis <br />that still needs to be done! <br />The Ad Hoc Committee goal is to reach consensus on draft legislation over the <br />summer and refine it to the point that the legislation could be introduced in Congress in <br />early 1998. There are still a lot of issues yet to address, but at least the talks are moving <br />forward. <br />Attachment 11 is a letter from Governor Roy Romer to the House Appropriations <br />Subcommittee on Interior requesting funding support for the Recovery Programs. <br />Identical letters were also sent to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and <br />Related Agencies and to both the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on <br />Energy and Water Development. <br />Ll <br />